NEWSLETTER October 2023

Israel is currently at war. Like all citizens in Israel, the CCW staff is directly affected by recent events. Most therapists and the administrative staff have close family members who are on reserve duty and know people who were murdered in the south. The education system is closed, except for Zoom classes. However, CCW carries out its work. Our therapists continue to provide psychotherapy to women digitally, while our administrative staff supports our therapists as best as they can during this difficult time.

While the circumstances are incredibly challenging, Israel’s civil society is highly active. There is a strong sense of action and support in places where the government and state are absent. CCW is a member of the Coalition of Women’s Organizations for Equality, which recently sent a joint letter to the Prime Minister and members of the Knesset requesting the formation of a “Home-front Cabinet” composed of citizens where women will be equally represented. The aim of the “Home-front Cabinet” will be to ensure that citizens’ medical, financial, social and mental health needs are met during and after the war.

At CCW, we are fully aware that post-war trauma will continue to affect Israeli citizens for many years, if not generations to come. The rehabilitation process will be long and challenging. As an organization providing subsidized feminist psychotherapy to women for 35 years, we know that women are impacted differently from war trauma, especially women from disadvantaged populations, of low socio-economic status, from marginalized communities, single mothers, etc.

With that understanding, CCW is in the process of initiating an extensive project which includes a series of group psychotherapy workshops for women. Group psychotherapy is an important tool of feminist psychotherapy in developing personal resilience and tools for coping, especially in extreme conditions.

Currently, CCW therapists are launching two groups who will meet digitally: one for single mothers and another for English-speaking women.   

CCW is seeking financial resources to fund private and group psychotherapy for women during and after the war. The war conditions present a two-fold challenge for CCW. Our organization provides subsidized psychotherapy for women, especially coming from low socio-economic backgrounds. In today’s reality, many women cannot even pay subsidized fees for various reasons; family members are on reserve duty, many workplaces are either closed or working very few hours and many children are home needing care. We are in need of resources to allow for deeper subsidies for our clients. Additionally, we would like to reach more women who need our help and provide emergency psychotherapy as well as long- term assistance for coping with post-war trauma taking into consideration the unique psychology of women.

We would like to end by thanking our friends abroad for their amazing support. We believe that your support and the solidarity of Israeli civil society will help us get through the war and difficult process in the aftermath.

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